While some people are excited about picking up the Xbox One console when it arrives in a few weeks, others are skeptical about the kind of security it will provide, making sure their data doesn’t leak into the wrong hands.
In a privacy statement issued before the weekend, Microsoft explained how its new Kinect device will use the data it gathers. In a nutshell, face and body details that the device manages to pick up will be kept private. Xbox Live conversations may not be completely secure, however.
Regarding the facial scanning the Kinect utilizes, the statement reads, “The camera can be used to sign you into the Services on the console using facial recognition technology if you choose. To do this it measures distances between key points on your face to create a numeric value that represents only you. This value is stored as a very long set of numbers.”
The information is not shared, it insists, stating, “No one could look at the numbers and know they represent you.” It continued, “The numeric values sent to Microsoft are destroyed after analysis is complete. The stick figure representation cannot be used to identify you.”
Microsoft also states that the option to share data is up to the user. “With user consent, samples of voice commands occurring while using Kinect will be collected and periodically sent to Microsoft for product improvement. We also collect voice samples to provide the voice search service and, with user consent, for product improvement.”
Source: Microsoft